Chipping Hill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive happily at the school each day. They enjoy attending and are met by staff who are pleased to see them.

Staff expect the very best from all pupils. Teachers across school take the time to get to know their pupils extremely well. This allows them to adapt their teaching successfully to meet each pupil's needs.

Pupils show enthusiasm and enjoyment when learning. They achieve highly.

Pupils have a good understanding of what makes healthy relationships and friendships.

They have positive working relationships with staff, who support and motivate them. In lessons, and around the school, pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They have very positive ...attitudes towards each other and their learning.

Pupils gain leadership experience from taking on roles and responsibilities in their classrooms and around the school. These range from being a member of the student parliament to play leaders, reading monitors and behaviour gurus. Through these roles pupils make a positive contribution to the school.

Pupils benefit from some educational visits. Older pupils were inspired by a recent careers fair. Pupils enjoy clubs organised by the school.

However, many of these are predominantly sports related. There are fewer opportunities for pupils with other interests to pursue these.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school's curriculum is ambitious, clear and coherent.

Leaders have made staff training a priority. As a result, teachers have the expertise to deliver every subject very effectively and with enthusiasm and confidence.

Children make a very strong start to their learning in the Reception Year.

Staff make sure they gather information about what every child knows and can do as soon as they start in Reception. They adapt the curriculum, expertly supporting each child so that the majority have the knowledge they need to learn successfully by the time they join Year 1.

Staff train pupils to be inquisitive learners and to ask questions.

They provide pupils with regular opportunities to revisit, practise and build on previous learning. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding and contributes to them achieving well. For example, in Reception, children investigate questions such as, 'Do you need big seeds to grow big plants?' In their science lessons in Year 2, pupils learn about seed dispersal.

By the time they are in Year 5, pupils explore the life cycle of plants in more depth. Teachers continuously check pupils' understanding, which informs them of what to teach next and how to do so. They identify misconceptions and address them quickly.

All pupils are routinely challenged as part of their learning. In mathematics, for example, children in Reception learn to make the number five in different ways in the autumn term. By the spring term, they are expected to be able to do the inverse addition operation to a subtraction.

In Year 6, pupils are expected to solve two-step equations. Pupils enjoy being challenged and rise to these high expectations. This contributes to many achieving highly.

The school's high expectations for achievement include pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified early on. The school ensures there is an emphasis on providing pupils with SEND with the best possible learning alongside their classmates.

Pupils with SEND successfully access the full curriculum. When necessary, staff work closely with external professional agencies to support pupils further. This helps ensure that they make the best possible progress in their learning.

Leaders have made sure that every pupil learns to read. The school wastes no time in getting them started. Reading, including the teaching of phonics, is taught from the beginning of Reception.

Pupils at risk of falling behind are identified swiftly and are supported to keep up. The school has developed high levels of staff expertise in the teaching of reading. All staff promote the love of reading.

Pupils discuss their favourite authors and books with enthusiasm.

Leaders ensure that pupils' attendance is a high priority. When attendance drops for some pupils, the school works closely with families to make sure pupils' attendance improves rapidly.

Pupils are taught how to behave well. The school's behaviour policy is applied consistently and fairly by all staff. Pupils consistently demonstrate highly positive attitudes and commitment to their learning.

They show resilience when they face challenges. They collaborate with each other but also work well independently.

The school provides pupils with opportunities to enrich their learning.

Currently extra-curricular activities are predominantly sports related. Pupils have fewer opportunities to develop their interests and talents in other areas, such as music and the arts.

Pupils are taught about different family units and about what makes a positive friendship and relationship.

Staff teach pupils how to keep safe, including when online.

Parents and carers are positive about the school. Staff enjoy working here.

They say their workload is manageable and appreciate the way leaders look out for their well-being. Governors understand their role and carry this out effectively. They ensure that the school has a clear vision and strategy, and that leaders are challenged and supported well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's current offer for extra-curricular opportunities is limited. Although the school makes clubs available, there is not a wide range of activities on offer.

There are fewer opportunities for pupils to engage in extra-curricular activities other than sport. This means that pupils with interests and talents in other areas have fewer opportunities to develop these. The school needs to ensure that a wide, rich set of experiences are available to pupils, which provide opportunities for pupils to build on their different talents and interests.